Sign device



July 19, 1932. G RQWLEY 1,867,595

SIGN DEVICE Filed July, 20, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

E. G. ROW LEY July 19, 1932.

SIGN DEVICE Filed July 20,

1951 3 Sheets-Sheet VZgTOR.

ATTORNEY Ma l QM.

Patented July 19, 1932 UNITEDFST'A-TES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD e; RoWLEY, E NEWARK, NEW JERS Y, ASSIGNOR To: CINE-A-GRAPH 00R- PORATION; on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE sIGN DEvIoE Application filed July 20, 1931. Serial No. 551,934.

This invention relates to sign devices employing incandescent lamps, and more particularly to meansfor ventilating such devices and'facilitating their assembly;

In electric sign apparatus in which electrlc incandescent lamps are employed for illuminating purposes, considerable heat is generated, and unless means are provided for maintaining the lamps at a, reasonable temperature, the heat become excessive and danger ous.

It is an object of'this invention to provide an electric sign apparatus having ventilating means for effectively removing excess heat and maintaining the lamps at a safe temperature.

A further object is the provision of a double-facedelectricsign apparatus in which the actuating and illuminatingmeans are mountedupon achassis, thus facilitating the assembly of the apparatus.

These and other. advantageous ob ects, which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical constructionand'an Iangement ofparts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof,.and in which:

F'gure 1 is a front elevational view of', the sign device. 7

Figure 2 is an endview of the sign dev ce.

Figure 3 is a; partialiplan view of. the slgn device. y

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on 11ne l-4ofFig. 1. V

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

F'gure 8 is an end view of the chassis used in. the device.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of the chassis taken on line 9-.9of Fig. 5. .45

Referring to the drawings, the sign device is shown to include a casing having-side walls 13 having portions cutout to provide wlndows, the walls being bevelledat 14 adjacent the edges of the windows.

Attached to the side walls 13,v are end walls movementis limited by the abutting of the 11, the structure being strengthened by braces 10 at the four'corners of the casing. The end walls 11 have a plurality of apertures 12 for ventilating purposes, the apertures being covered by shields 5, 7,8, which are spaced from the walls 11.to allow the free circulation of air, at the same time preventing the passage of light through the apertures. Shields 8 have flanges 6, which cooperate with similar flanges 9 on the end plates 11 to provide guideways to receive a cover 15, also having a plurality of ventilating apertures 1'6. The cover 15 has upstanding ribs or flanges 17 to facilitate the manipulation thereof, and a button 28 on the cover frictionally engages a depression on a flange on side wall 13 to maintainthe cover in a fixed position.

Fixed to the edges of end walls 11' are columns-21 and 21, the columns 21 being slotted to allow the cover 15 to slide thereby into position. Each. pair of columns2l, 21 have vertical slots23 receiving the ends of cross-bars 22, to which isattached a chain 24 by means of which the sign device may be suspended from above. The length of the vertical slots 23 in the columns 21, 21 exceeds the width of the bars 22; Therefore, the-bar 22 is inserted in the slots 23' by raising one end of the bar 22 and inserting a corner thereof in the upper endof theslot 23in one of'the columns and the lower corner of the opposite end of the bar 22 in the lower end ofthe slot in the opposite column. After the cross-bars have been inserted in the slots, the upward cross-bars against the under sides of the ca pieces which are integral with or fixed to the columns.

Attached to the side walls on each side of the windows therein, are angles 25, to which are fixed channels26, 27 to slidably receive plates of glass29, and plates 43 hearing advertising matter. The channels 26 are spaced slightly from the free edges of'angles 25",to provide with the angles 25 a rectangular guide way for a chassis having acover 18and end walls 19, as shown in Fi 4. e

The end walls 19 of the chassis are, provided with a plurality of apertures 42, and thecover 18has apertures 34shieldedbyhoods 35. The chassis is divided into a plurality of compartments by shelves 30, 31, 32, 33, upon which are mounted a plurality of incandescent lamps 36, each shelf having an aperture 34 between adjacent lamps 36. The lamps on adjacent shelves are staggered so that the lamps on one shelf are directly beneath or above apertures 34 in the adjacent shelves. Each of the apertures 34 are shielded by hoods 35 to prevent the passage of light from one compartment to the other, at the same time enabling the free circulation of air throughout the compartmentsto maintain the lamps 36 at a safe temperature. 35 on the cover 18 of the chassis prevent the passage of light'through the apertures 16 in the cover 15; and the bottom 39 of the casing has ventilating apertures 4O covered by shields 41 to prevent the passage of light downwardly. Each of the shelves has upturned flanges 44, which prevent the passage of light over the edges of the shelves into the compartment below.

With the structure above described it will be'seen that each compartment of the chassis is completely shielded from light from the other compartments at the same time air may circulate freely throughout the compartments for ventilating purposes. Usually, the lamps in the upper compartment are lighted first, then in sequence, the lamps in the other compartments are lighted to convey a message line-at-a-time to an observer. In order to make this method of advertising effective, it is desirable that the compartments be completely shielded from light from the other compartments. Also, light from the sign device is prevented from passing through the casing into the room.

In order to light the lamps 36 in sequence in the compartments, a switchingmechanism 37 including a motor (not shown in detail) is mounted on an end wall 19 of the chassis. The end walls 19 of the chassis have their side edges bent back on themselves to provide guides to slidably receive flanges 38 of a hood 38 covering the switch actuating mechanism From the above description it will be seen that I have produced a sign device in which complete shielding of light is obtained at the same time permitting free circulation of air throughout the device to maintain the incandescent lamps at a safe temperature. Also, the structure of the device enables easy and convenient assembling, the parts of the easing being joined by spot welding, as likewise are the parts of the chassis. The chassis is completely assembled independently of the casing and is slid easily into position in the casing in the guide formed by channels 26 and angles 25.

I The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention,

The hoods of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sign I compartments by a plurality of shelves, a plurality of incandescent lamps mounted in device, a chassis divided into each compartment, each shelf having apertures directly above each lamp in the com partment belowfand raised hoods attached to the shelves and coveringthe apertures to prevent light from one compartment entering an adjacent compartment at the same time enabling a free circulation of air for ven tilating purposes to remove excess heat generated by the lamps. 7 2. In a double faced sign device, a'rectangular casing, a chassis having a plurality of incandescent lamps'mounted thereon, angle members attached to the inner Walls of the casing and arranged to form a guideway in which the chassis is slidable, and channels attached to the angles to support plates of glass and sign plates. I

3. In a sign device, a chassis having a plurality of compartments, a plurality 'of incandescent lamps positionedin the compartments, a 1 switch actuating mechanism mounted on an end Wall of the chassis, said end wall having inturned edges forming guideways, and a hood having flanges slidablein the guideways, said hood covering the switch actuating mechanism. 1

4. In a sign device, a chassis having a plurality of shelveshaving spaced apertures, incandescent lamps mounted on the shelves between the apertures, said apertures and lamps being arranged so that each lamp is directly beneath an aperture in the shelf immediately above, and hoods positioned over the apertures to prevent light passingfrom one compartment to'another at the same time en abling free circulation of air through the chassis to maintain the lampsat a safe temperature. V I i 5. In a sign device, a plurality of shelves having spaced apertures and upturned flanges at their longitudinal edges, incandescent lamps mounted .on the shelves. betwe'en'the apertures, said apertures and lamps being arranged sothat each lamp is directly beneath casing and channels attached to the angles to support sign plates, said angle members and channels forming a rectangular guide to slidably receive the chassis.

This specification signed this 3rd day of July, 1931.

EDWARD G. ROWLEY. 

